Saranac Irish Stout - Matt Brewing Company

bubseymour

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - dark with brown small head
Smell - malty and slighty chocolatey with a slight balance of hops

Taste - very well balanced with slight hop bite but very subtle. Nice flavorings and realatively light and not boozy or strong at all.

Mouthfeel - Very decen and not watery for a 5.5% stoudt. Feels very full bodied

Overall - Considering the trainwreck that the Imperial Stout is, I was skeptical trying this one out. I was very pleasantly surprised by how well done this one is by Saranac. Its not overly chocolately like many American micros and seems to have a trueness to the Irish stout authentisty with well balance and not going over the top like us yank brewers tend to do. Nice job Saranac!

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 00:59:07 | More by bubseymour

metter98

New York

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is very dark amber (near black) in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high beige head that quickly died down but consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: There are faint aromas of coffee beans and roasted malts in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of coffee and dark malts; a slight amount of bitterness is present in the finish.
M: It feels a bit shy of medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a slight amount of dryness.
O: The beer is very easy to drink and packs in quite a bit of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 21:03:33 | More by metter98

nukem5

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a great dark rich color of almost black with reddish hues around edges, and a nice tan cap which dissapears quickly.Thin lacing down glass.

S: Notes of coffee toffee and chocolates. Hints of roasty malts.

T: Warm roasty malts with a light hop flavor in back.

M: A bit thin for me on this stlye but ok and good carbonation .

D: Good drinkability and def could drink a few.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 02:56:38 | More by nukem5

Duhast500

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a Guinness pint glass.

The color is a dark black with maroon hight-lights and a finger of foamy brownish head with some slight lacing left on the glass.

The smell is filled with dark malts and some raisin aroma with a touch of other dark fruits and a little burnt aroma.

The taste is a little chocolaty at first with some dark malt flavor that has a slight smoke flavor to it. Some roasty flavor with a dry with some slight bitterness toward the end.

The feel of this beer is dry and medium bodied with a nice smooth finish and a great light aftertaste that is there for a short time then is gone.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 06:02:31 | More by Duhast500

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle purchased as part of the "What Ales You" mixed 12pk. Pours a black body with dark brown highlights. Smells like a Guinness - dark chocolate, roast, with a tinge of sourness. Tastes very much like Guinness too - roasty, dark chocolate and espresso notes, with nut and caramel notes in the background. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Not bad. Spot-on for the style for sure. A tastier and cheaper domestic alternative to Guinness products and the like.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 04:00:53 | More by MrHurmateeowish

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Deep deep brown, but not quite black. Two finger khaki head retains well with good lacing.
S- Smell is decent with an appreciated roasted malt aroma. Some hop character. Decent but nothing outstanding.
T- Some chocolate flavors, just a touch of coffee grounds. Slightly noticable hop character
M- Decent mouthfeel. Slightly dry finish. Not as rich or smooth as I would like.
D- A decent stout. Worthy of a try but not anything particularly world class.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 04:41:04 | More by jsprain1

legatovibrato24

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Deep black in color with a tan head. Pretty much typical fare for the stout category. Roasted barley smell, a bit of chocolate coming through.

Good solid flavor, not underwhelming and not overwhelming. Well balanced for the stout style, the roasted flavors not being so strong as to overpower the delicate hops flavor, which still comes through in the finish.

Not as strong in flavor as a Sierra Nevada stout, but does have its own set of rewarding characteristics, making it a worthy brew for any stout lover.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 01:59:22 | More by legatovibrato24

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured in ale glass at friend's house

A: solid black, good head, nice lacing
S: spritely, carmelly, molasses--classic stout aroma
T: leathery, licorice/aniseed, horehound--all no doubt companions to the roasted barley; it's overall a solid specimen of a stout

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 16:44:12 | More by Arithmeticus

skenyon1811

New York

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint.

A: Great deep black color. Not much of a head but it is a nice tan color. The head looks too bubbley/soapy. I expect a thick creamy head on stouts.

S: Good malty aroma with a hint of coffee. I also get this nutty aroma. Not a very complex aroma, but a pleasant one for sure.

T: Right away I can tell the highlight of this stout is the great roasted malt flavor. This beer just tastes like Saranac, I don't know how to describe it. The brewery has this distinct taste to most of its brews. This is in no way a bad thing. This has a nice hop bite to it too, not overwhelming. Perfect hop flavor for a stout. Real nice lingering after taste.

M: A little too light for a stout. I would like to see a creamier, thicker stout.

D: It is one of the smoother drinkable stouts that I have had. I would drink three of four in a night. I would like to see what this on tap at the brewery could offer.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 23:14:29 | More by skenyon1811

schoolboy

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

There are some pretty ordinary Saranac brews, and some that try real hard. This one is not ordinary, and it tries real hard. Like some of the others, it generally works, but there is no way it's anywhere near best of breed.

What you have here is a unique, well made brew. The uniqueness seems to come from the water more than the coombinations of malts and hops, but those are well balanced.

Like any Saranac, these are worth drinking, if they are a good value.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 02:04:55 | More by schoolboy

Brenden

Ohio

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is, just as it should be, a thick, black stout. A creamy light brown head settles just under 2 fingers high with some sturdy hold to it, retaining itself well before fading to a strong foam that leaves thick lacing at the top of the glass in rings before dropping off to spotting.
Smoke and roasted barley are prevalent in the nose with plenty of malt backbone, a bit of wood, and some coffee. This one's a tough call; it's a 4 in quality but just doesn't quite have the strength and gusto it needs to reach it.
The beauty of this one is that it gets the balance and all the smoky, roasted barley and coffee it goes for with no harshness or astringency and offers a nice, strong bitterness that remains malt-centered. There's nothing off here. Soy sauce, I assume, would imply infection and seems to be more of a problem in roastier stouts. There's nothing of the kind here.
I'm completely impressed by the initial smoothness that just rolls off my tongue and flows beautifully. That does taper out as it goes and, as it warms, more carbonation comes through when it was perfectly attuned before. Still, a very nice mouthfeel overall in a rich, full-bodied Irish stout. As it should be.
This is one of Saranac's better offerings and a great take on a lesser loved style.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 08:02:03 | More by Brenden

IPAescotch

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Nice n dark very little head retention, very little head at all. well carbonated, very bubbly.
Soy sauce. this smells alot like soy sauce, probably as a result of the roasted barley. might have steeped at two warm a temperature/too low. somethings off here.
Tastes dry and well rounded as a matter of a fact. the soy sauce smells are covered up by the dryness and the sharpenss of the carbonation.
Tingles the mouth, glides down the gullet.
decent drinkability

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 00:31:15 | More by IPAescotch

obrendano

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

nice little find at my local 7-11

A - deep black, not much light at all, nice creamy head

S - dry coffee overwhelms, roasty malt and chocolate as well. I can already tell this is going to mimic Guinness quite a bit

T - suspicions confirmed on the Guinness worship....dry dark grain taste in the Irish vein, with just a little more body and "oomph" behind it than canned or draught Guinness/Beamish/etc. noticeable brush of hops towards the middle. not bad at all

M - full, slightly slick, no true complaints honestly

D - basically if you were to compare it to Guinness, I'd describe it as essentially the taste of Draught with (almost) the body of Extra. a nice middle ground. will buy this again

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 22:39:53 | More by obrendano

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark chocolate bordering black with a coffee colored head.

In the nose is coffee, chocolate and spice.

Coffee flavors up front, then carbonation hits in the back with some bitter spice notes followed by a chocolate coating, then finishing dry with a hint of anise.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 21:20:54 | More by Chickenhawk9932

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is that of a solid black, may seem even more so than Guinness but not as creamy looking. Very little head. Smells of mild toasted malt and mild chocolate and espresso. Taste is actually drier (like the style suggests) than expected but full of roasted malt and mild coffee. Mild hops help this beer finish creamy. Mouthfeel is pretty medium bodied and drink ability is also very good since I love stouts. A very solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 01:00:37 | More by DrDemento456

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle. Pours dark brown with a thick, long lasting, tanned head. Nose is of dark fruit and roasted malt. Medium, very sharp body. Roasted malt, some dark fruit and some off sour notes fill the mouth. Long, espresso like finish. So, so stout as everything from Saranac.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 21:18:41 | More by mikeg67

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, with a short dense off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains roasted malts, dark creamy chocolate, some coffee and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out bready with a hearty roasted malt character up front. Then some mildly sweet flavors of dark chocolate and black coffee come in along with some creaminess in the background. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly bready.

M: Smooth and a little crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this is a pretty decent mild stout that is worth drinking for a long time if you're in the mood for the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 03:37:04 | More by TheManiacalOne

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

"Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat."

--Alex Levin

Burnt sienna that probably would not be opaque if the sun was above the horizon. One smooth pour produced almost three fingers of khaki colored foam that features several soft divits in its upper surface. This is pretty much what an IDS should look like.

Other than being on the weak side, the nose is fine. Pale (not appreciated) and roasted malt (appreciated) combine with Northdown and Goldings hops to provide the typical chocolate and coffee aromas of the style. Hops don't add much, which is no surprise.

Given the brewery, Irish Stout tastes and feels like it was expected to taste and feel. The brewery's website contains a graphic that puts each of their offerings on a scale of light-medium-heavy based on... color! This brew falls in the heavy range, presumably because it's dark brown-black.

Needless to say, Irish Stout isn't the least bit heavy. Nor does it have a ton of roasted malt flavor. Specifics include bittersweet chocolate, black coffee, dark caramel and a modest herbal hoppiness. Let's go with slightly above average and round up.

The body/mouthfeel is also slightly above average, but will be rounded down. The beer wanders away too quickly after tongue contact, which is usually due to a lack of malt. The carbonation, although a bit fizzy, is acceptable.

At this point, it's unlikely that The Matt Brewing Company will surprise me in either direction. Irish Stout is a serviceable Irish dry stout that was worth a single bottle purchase. A second bottle? No thanks.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 11:18:27 | More by BuckeyeNation

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz.

Pours jet black. Fine tan head retains well.

Smells smokey and of toasty bread and brown sugar like malts.

Tastes mildly bitter with coffee and chocolate notes.

Feels moderate, maybe on the fuller side, with mild carbonation on the tip of the tongue.

Decent stout, above average I would say. I would drink this again. Maybe too heavy to drink a lot of though.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 00:51:04 | More by Cylinsier

BranfordBound

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle purchased as a single. Poured into a DFH pint glass.

Pours pitch black with a half finger tan head. Head fades to a whispy covering. Leaves silky lacing, though.

Smells of roasted malts. Some dark fruits poke through. Maybe a coffee in the back. More smell than expected from an IDS.

Strong coffee and roasted malt note at first. Very similar to SA Cream Stout but without the creaminess. Mild chocolate in the middle which transitions into the roasted aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is pretty thin, with a very small carb tickle. A little less smooth than normal dry stouts. Not overly dry, either.

Pretty drinkable, very similar to SA Cream Stout. Doesn't have the drinkability of other Irish dry's like Guinness, though.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 23:54:11 | More by BranfordBound

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: minimal head, dark black color

Smell:burnt malt and coffee

Taste: burnt malt, black coffee, and touch of cream

Mouthfeel: dry, light body, moderate carbonation, semi-sweet

Drinkability: Could have two or three of these. One of Saranac's better offerings. Nice, dry, and true to style.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2010 13:56:03 | More by tigg924

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A- pours a verrry dark brown...essentially black...with a half finger mocha colored head. Head fades quickly, but what little head there was laces nicely.

S- dark coffee and roasted malts. Aroma is...eh, a little weak. Would like this to be stronger.

T- huge burst of coffee to start...not strong coffee though, more of a standard pot you'd make in an office. Tastes good though...a little watered down, maybe.

M- decent thickness, but again, theres a watery quality to it...eh.

D- pretty drinkable. A lot like Guinness without the body

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2010 17:54:18 | More by bigfnjoe

tchenery

Virginia

2.95/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. The color looks good, very dark. The offwhite head does not stick around like I had hoped. Thin lacing around edge. It smells heavy of raisins and dates and also smells slightly sweet.

It tastes of dark malts, but with nothing spectacular. There is some of the raisin-y taste to it but not much. It is bubbly on the tongue and does leave you dry. It's smooth, but just kind of basic.

It's a very approachable stout. There are no overwhelming flavors that would turn someone away.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2010 19:24:23 | More by tchenery

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a small head. Smell is of malts and coffee. Taste is like the smell, roasted malts and coffee. Feels full bodied in the mouth and has good drinkability. Overall this makes for a fine quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 14:08:29 | More by tone77

biglite351

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - some red around the edges. Tall off white hard that falls a little fast but leaves lacing.

S - mild, and a little sweet, which is odd for a stout. Maybe even a little fruity.

T - smokey with a nice malty flavor.

M - a little thin with no real tingles or anything.

D - the smokey flavor makes this a very different brew worth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 01:33:31 | More by biglite351